1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a clutch disc for use in automotive friction clutches or the like and, more particularly, to a clutch disc using a pad-type ceramic metal (sintered alloy) friction material as a friction facing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Clutch discs of this type are described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 51-22202 and British Patent Application No. 8407046 (OP1 No. 2141190). In these prior art clutch discs, a ceramic metal friction member is fixed to a driven plate (or an input plate in the clutch disc) through a cushioning plate. The cushioning plate is axially compressible and, therefore, by the cushioning plate being compressed during a clutch engagement, an abrupt axial force of pressure contact between the friction member and a flywheel can be buffered, it being thus possible to prevent any unreasonable shock from being developed during the clutch engagement.
In these clutch discs, however, the cushioning plate projects circumferentially at opposite sides in relation to the friction member and is fixed at the projecting portions by rivets to the driven plate. This means that the cushioning plate is larger in size than the friction member; in other words, it is required that the friction member be somewhat smaller sized than the cushioning plate. Therefore, one disadvantage of such clutch disc is that the cushioning plate is comparatively large in weight, and another disadvantage is that the surface area (effective pressure contact area) of the friction member is comparatively small.
This object of this invention is to solve these problems.